The doctors at Del Negro & Senft Eye Associates take great pride in being on the forefront of advanced technology. For this reason, our team is very excited to announce the utilization of a new system during exams, known as SPECTRALIS, which just so happens to be a part of NASA’s Ocular Health Study. The study seeks to understand ocular changes in astronauts during long-term space missions.

The SPECTRALIS system uses an advanced eye tracking system that produces 3-D images of the eye allowing our doctors to easily identify change. It helps reveal eye diseases which may not yet be noticeable by the patient or detectable with a traditional visual exam. You should be pleased to know that you will be tested with the same advanced technology as the astronauts before, during, and after their missions to space. Pretty impressive!

An excerpt from www.heidelbergengineering.com

SPECTRALIS OCT Eye Examinations in Space

Heidelberg, Germany — February 14, 2014 – Since its arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 15th, 2013, Heidelberg Engineering’s Spectralis OCT device is being used regularly for eye examinations of ISS crew members.

First on-orbit tests of the instrument were conducted successfully on June 21 of last year. The first ever OCT examination in space was performed with a commercial SPECTRALIS OCT device on board ISS on October 16, 2013. Since then, ISS crewmembers are being examined in 1- to 2-weekly intervals. The examinations are part of NASA’s Ocular Health Study which seeks to understand ocular changes in astronauts during long-term space missions. Crewmembers had Spectralis OCT baseline examinations prior to their missions on Earth. The on-orbit follow-up examinations now allow observation of possible ocular changes developing. The close follow-up examinations are facilitated by the SPECTRALIS’ AutoRescan function which ensures that serial OCT images on Earth and in space are taken at the exact same retinal location.

Decreased vision may compromise your lifestyle. When it comes to cataracts, Drs. Del Negro, Senft, and Glatman can restore your vision and, oftentimes, give you more freedom from glasses and contact lenses.

The changes that come hand-in-hand with cataracts develop slowly over time, gradually affecting your normal daily activities. If that sounds familiar, ask yourself these questions:
• Am I having difficulty driving at night?
• Does my vision seem blurred or dim? Things just not clear?
• Have my eyes become more sensitive to light and glare?
• Do I need brighter light for reading? Is smaller print more difficult?
• Do I have trouble seeing the writing on the TV?
• Do I have more difficulty differentiating shades of colors?

If your answers reveal that you are concerned with your current quality of vision, feel free to contact us at 732-774-5566 to schedule a Cataract Evaluation.